Lilly Library: ‘IU’s hidden treasure’

Every day students pass by the ivy-covered stone walls of the Lilly Library without realizing what’s inside.

The Lilly Library is IU’s own hidden treasure, said Rebecca Cape, head of reference and public services.

Though the library was opened in 1960 to display the wide collection of Josiah Kirby Lilly Jr.’s books and manuscripts, it has become a place for students to research and view exhibits and books found nowhere else.

Lilly donated the more than 20,000 books and 17,000 manuscripts that make up the rare book and manuscript collection that can be seen in the Lilly Library today.

“We encourage students to use the library simply because the things we have are unique and more accessible here than most other places,” Cape said.

Cape said unlike most libraries that contain such rare material, the Lilly Library is open to all who want to use its resources. While the Lilly Library is not like an average library open to mass amounts of study, there is a specified reading room in the library where students can go to use the books and other materials while also browsing the various sheet music ranging from 20 to 30 years old.

While materials are not allowed to be taken out of the library, sheet music is available for copy upon request.

The main purpose for the reading room is for students to come and research using sources and materials they can find nowhere else.

Each room in the library is specifically named after the display being portrayed. Among these rooms include the Lincoln Room, displaying various Lincoln materials from Joseph Benjamin Oakleaf’s collection, and the Elisabeth Ball Room, displaying Elisabeth W. Ball’s many collections of historic children’s books. The most recent room is the Slocum Puzzle Room, which displays 30,000 mechanical puzzles, donated by Jerry Slocum.

“Students are fascinated with the puzzle collection,” said Reference Associate Sue Presnell.

While the puzzle collection might be entertaining, the Lilly Library is most often used as a source for classes and students. Five to six classes meet each week in the library, ranging from Spanish and Portuguese to English and journalism. At 2 p.m. every Friday, the Library offers free public tours.

The library’s most influential exhibits and materials include a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, known as the first major work made from moveable type, the two Oscars John Ford won for best director for the films “How Green Was My Valley” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” Ruth E. Adomeit’s miniature book collection, a copy of the Declaration of Independence and various writings of Sylvia Plath – complete with a lock of her hair.

If curious about the Lilly Library, students should go inside and experience all the material that is unique and beneficial to many areas of study, Cape said.

“The Lilly Library contains the most underrepresented resources for undergraduates,” said IU grad student and reference assistant Becca Klusman. “Just don’t be intimidated to stop on by.”